Wound healing is a complex process whereby a skin, another organ or tissue repairs itself after an injury. On the normal skin, the epidermis (outermost layer) and the dermis (inner or deep layer) form a protective barrier against the external environment. Once the protective barrier is broken, a normal physiological process of wound healing is immediately set in motion. However, health or an age of the injured, a disease such as diabetes, or the presence of a foreign material or necrotic tissue may influence a wound healing rate. If the wound healing is delayed, there is a risk of secondary infection through the wound site. Further, incomplete control of wound resolution in some wounds causes excessive scar formation, resulting in a problem of functionally and cosmetically inferior scar formation. Thus, when a wound occurs, it is important to heal the wound quickly without side effects.
At present, DongWha Pharmaceutical's Fucidin, Dongkook Pharmaceutical's Madecassol, etc. are representative commercially-available products used for wound healing. However, there is a report that Staphylococcus aureus resistant to fusidic acid which is a main ingredient of Fucidin is increasing (Arch Dis Child 2004; 89:74-44). It has also been continuously reported that use of Fucidin or Madecassol causes side effects such as allergic reactions, rash, etc. Accordingly, there is a growing need for researches on new drugs.
Meanwhile, a neuropeptide consisting of 11 amino acids, SP is reported to be expressed in some cells and granulation tissues. Some studies have reported that SP improves corneal epithelial barrier function in the corneal epithelial wound and exhibits therapeutic effect on keratopathy (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003 July; 44(7): 2937-40). Further, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0037176 discloses that SP and mesenchymal stem cells may be used to develop a therapeutic agent effective for wound healing. However, there is a disadvantage that the stem cells easily die when they are practically used as a raw material for cosmetics, and cause cytotoxicity after death. Therefore, there is still a demand for the development of a wound healing agent using SP.
Accordingly, the present inventors have made extensive efforts to improve the wound healing efficacy of drugs including SP, and as a result, they found that a pharmaceutical composition including an antioxidant, a surfactant, a thickener, and SP shows excellent wound healing efficacy compared to commercially available products, thereby completing the present invention.